Friend Or Foe
by GeorgiaFranchot
Summary: Hermione thinks she's rid of Draco Malfoy and their illicit love affair but nothing could be further from the truth. Sequel to No Other Choice. t.A.T.u., Friends and Inception refs. There is sex. There is darkness. Be warned bros.
1. Grimmauld Place

_(Alrighty chaps and chapettes, this is the first chapter of Friend or Foe, sequel to No Other Choice! I hope it goes alright :O I'm nervous already! Haha. And feeeck, 105 reviews! OMG. Thank you so very very much to: headbangingtogreenday, and LemonCheese oh yesh! Kill Anthology! Though actually I don't mind Shakespeare, it's Havisham I can't stand. That Romantic, I shall try and post this chappie up ASAP! A hug to AbbyGreenEyes, and Jollypen I actually love your name, haha xD Thankies to ChinaDollMaiden also, I am working speedily with a can of Cherry Coke by my side! Agnofinis: I shall try my best! Thanks also to freak-4-God and blackitee. And finally, but certainly to least, RanyaRavenclaw. You are all amayzing. I deliberately put the 'y' in, btw. Of course, this isn't J.K. I just mess around with the characters as I'm 'mental' xD I own nothing, really, apart from my own little Dramione plot. It's seventh year k. Thanks to t.A.T.u for awe inspiring music and to my Friends box set of all seasons for making me laugh and think of ideas. Thanks also to my regular reviewers, whom I love muchly :P Here it is guyz! Friend or Foe? DSOTM94)_

As with all good stories, this one starts with a wedding between a part Veela French girl and a red haired man with slight wolfish tendencies. And with all good stories-modern classics, perhaps- I was wearing a red dress, and Ron had just invited me to dance.

Seeing I was oh-so-slightly miserable, he shook his head at me and told me, "Ok Hermione, you're not with Draco anymore... you're angry, you're hurting... can I tell you what the answer is?"

I raised my eyebrows.

"The red light district! Come on! You're single! Have some hormones!" he encouraged. I just looked at him.

The red light district for you that don't know, is known to the wizarding world as a neighbourhood (No, I won't tell you where it is!) where the sex industry exists. You know. Prostitutes and such.

"But I don't want to be single... I just want to be him again." I mourned.

Victor Krum walked in right then, as if he was looking for me.

"And I just want a million Galleons!"

"Quick, get him away from me! Dance, dance Ron!" I hissed, and he pulled me to his chest and we danced slowly.

Hey. This was kind of…nice.

Oh God.

"Okay, forget this, I need to find someone for you." He sighed at my woebegone face. I sipped at some Butterbeer when he came back looking excited.

"Okay, I have a young Kevin for you."

"How young is young Kevin? Young?"

"He's... our age."  
**"**When we were?"  
**"**Okay, he's just starting his third year."  
**"**Whoa! And this manchild has no problem with how old I am?"  
**"**Of course not!"

"No." I said flatly. "I'd rather go out with…"

I accidentally looked at his eyes.

He opened his mouth, looking quiet. His blue eyes unblinking.

"Hermione…"

He was looking past me.

A lynx.

A message.

"Scrimgeour is dead. The Ministry has fallen. They are coming."

"Quick, let's go!" I jumped to attention as Harry yelled, "Go, go, go!"

I hoped it wasn't too late as I turned on the spot and took us down Tottenham Court Road.

_We used to love one another…_

I shook my head of the thought and ordered Rona and Harry hastily. "You need to get changed out of those robes, people are already suspicious."

"Damn, I forgot my Cloak. I can't believe it, all last year I kept it on me and-" Harry cursed.

"It's fine, I've got the Cloak, I've got clothes for you both."

"When you say you've got…?" Ron gaped as I swiftly explained how I'd done an Undetectable Extension Charm on my silver beaded bag.

I turned away, slightly embarrassed as in a dark alley, the boys changed.

Now I had to choose.

"I don't know what to do…" I whispered.

"Quick, let's get in here. Under the cloak, Harry." Ron directed us to an all night, shabby café. I ordered us two cappuccinos, but immediately regretted it, as they were foamy, grey and disgusting. I shivered, repulsed.

A couple of blond workmen ambled in and so I and Ron hushed up, talking in murmurs about what we should do.

"I say we find a quiet place to Disapparate and head for the countryside. Once we're there, we could send a message to the Order." I breathed.

"Can you do that talking Patronus thing, then?" asked Ron.

"I've been practicing and I think so," I replied.

"Well, as long as it doesn't get them into trouble, though they might've been arrested already. God, that's revolting," Ron added after one sip of the foamy, grayish coffee. The waitress had heard; she shot Ron a nasty look as she shuffled off to take the new customers' orders. The larger of the two workmen, who was blond and quite huge, now that Harry came to look at him, waved her away. She stared, affronted. I wondered why they'd come in, to not have a drink or something to eat. It wasn't as if they had to hide from the cold or anything.

"Let's get going, then, I don't want to drink this muck," said Ron. "Hermione, have you got Muggle money to pay for this?"

"Yes, I took out all my Building Society savings before I came to the Burrow. I'll bet all the change is at the bottom," I rolled my eyes, reaching for her beaded bag.

Ron, suddenly, lunged across the table, pushing me sideways onto my bench. The force of the Death Eaters' spells shattered the tiled wall where Ron's head had just been, as Harry, still invisible, yelled, "_Stupefy!_"

The great blond Death Eater was hit in the face by a jet of red light: He slumped sideways, unconscious.

_Death Eaters!_ I panicked inside. His companion, unable to see who had cast the spell, fired another at Ron: Shining black ropes flew from his wand-tip and bound Ron head to foot – the waitress screamed and ran for the door – Harry sent another Stunning Spell at the Death Eater with the twisted face who had tied up Ron, but the spell missed, rebounded on the window, and hit the waitress, who collapsed in front of the door.

"_Expulso!_" bellowed the Death Eater, and the table behind which Harry was standing blew up: The force of the explosion slammed him into the wall and the Cloak slipped off him.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" I screamed, and the Death Eater fell forward like a statue to land with a crunching thud on the mess of broken china, table, and coffee. I crawled out from underneath the bench, shaking bits of glass ashtray out of my hair and trembling all over.

"_D-diffindo,_" I coughed, pointing at Ron, who roared in pain as I slashed open the knee of his jeans, leaving a deep cut. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ron, my hand's shaking! _Diffindo!_"

The severed ropes fell away. Ron got to his feet, shaking his arms to regain feeling in them. Harry picked up his wand and climbed over all the debris to where the large blond Death Eater was sprawled across the bench.

"I should've recognized him, he was there the night Dumbledore died," he said. He turned over the darker Death Eater with his foot; the man's eyes moved rapidly between Harry, Ron and me.

"That's Dolohov," said Ron. "I recognize him from the old wanted posters. I think the big one's Thorfinn Rowle."

"Never mind what they're called!" I cried a little hysterically. "How did they find us? What are we going to do?"

"Lock the door," Harry told her, "and Ron, turn out the lights."

"What are we going to do with them?" Ron whispered to Harry through the dark; then, even more quietly, "Kill them? They'd kill us. They had a good go just now."

I shuddered and took a step backward. Harry shook his head.

"We just need to wipe their memories," said Harry. "It's better like that; it'll throw them off the scent. If we killed them it'd be obvious we were here."

"You're the boss," said Ron, sounding profoundly relieved. "But I've never down a Memory Charm."

"Nor have I," I spoke up, "but I know the theory."

With a deep, calming breath, pointing my wand at Dolohov's forehead I said, "_Obliviate_."

At once, Dolohov's eyes became unfocused and dreamy.

"Brilliant!" said Harry, clapping her on the back. "Take care of the other one and the waitress while Ron and I clear up."

"We need a safe place to hide," said Ron. "Give us time to think things through."

"Grimmauld Place," said Harry.

"Don't be silly, Harry, Snape can get in there!"

"Ron's dad said they've put up jinxes against him – and even if they haven't worked," he pressed on as I began to argue, "so what? I swear, I'd like nothing better than to meet Snape!"

"But –"

"Hermione, where else is there? It's the best chance we've got. Snape's only one Death Eater. If I've still got the Trace on me, we'll have whole crowds of them on us wherever else we go."

I unlocked the door. Then, on Harry's count of three, we reversed the spells upon their three victims, and before the waitress or either of the Death Eaters could do more than stir sleepily, Harry, Ron and yours truly had turned on the spot and vanished into the compressing darkness once more.

A Patronus soared in through the window as we arrived at the familiar house, and landed upon the floor in front of them, where it solidified into the weasel that spoke with the voice of Ron's father.

"_Family safe, do not reply, we are being watched._"

The Patronus dissolved into nothingness. Ron let out a noise between a whimper and a groan and dropped onto the sofa: I joined him, gripping his arm.

"They're all right, they're all right!" I whispered with relief, and Ron half laughed and hugged me. I didn't want to let go. I needed a hug.

"Harry," he said over my shoulder, "I –"

"It's not a problem," said Harry, "It's your family, 'course you were worried. I'd feel the same way. I _do _feel the same way."

I felt that old prickly feeling I'd not had for months. The feeling I'd had when I was paranoid about people finding out about me and…you know. I found the courage to say "I don't want to be on my own. Could we use the sleeping bags I've brought and camp in here tonight?"

Ron agreed and as Harry made his way to the bathroom, I found my pyjamas to slip into. I found my old white robe and smiled quietly. "So, it's just you and I, side by side." I grinned at Ron.

"You and I?" he repeated, bewildered.

"Yep." I found the two most precious items I owned in the world, apart from my wand. The snake necklace, and of course, the glass apple. I'd updated it, too. It had taken a lot of concentration but I did it.

I hummed quietly to myself as Ron insisted I lay on the cushions as well as being hidden in my sleeping bag, and I decided that no matter what, I was going to stay up through the night, it was no big deal, really. _Just me, Harry and Ron_, I thought, snuggling down, my hair falling off my neck in a convenient sweep.

Almost too convenient. It was midnight, now, I was sure of it. The snake swung on my neck as I reared up, and murmured half words to the glass apple incoherently, I was going mad. No wait, that already happened. Ya Soshla S Uma all over again. I had lost my mind, and whether I liked it or not, I needed him.

A candle by the window. It was emitting a slight purple glow, and the slightest hum. I wandered over and touched it gingerly. It quivered. I pressed it with my wand and suddenly, oh so suddenly, the wind was knocked out of me, I was choking, trying to swear and the candle was lit.

There was a knock at the door, and unthinkingly, I didn't even bother to look to see who was there.

My hand seized the handle and madly, I thought of a certain quote. "'Handle' is my middle name. Actually, it's the middle part of my first name."

However, I did not laugh as the door revealed the most beautiful bastard in the world.

My mouth dropped. "I…wha-?"

"Granger." He whispered and as he always had done, took hold of me at once, biting my bottom lip like he always had done. _When had he last done that?_ I thought dizzily. He'd drawn blood once.

It was the night, and it could be us two as I knew this was probably a dream, even though I could feel everything from the firmness of his teeth to the gentle fingers on his hands.

Time to live.

Let's abandon the shame of our secret relationship that was sliced away. Love is an entirely different game. Telling lies, breaking hearts. It's a tricky game of hide and seek-it always made me fucking freak, but for one night, and one night only, I could revel in it.

"Is this real, or a dream?" I breathed on his ear. He looked right at me and replied, "Oh, this isn't a dream, Granger. Far from it."

"Prove it." I commanded.


	2. The Longest Night

_Top of Form_

_(Ooh, the reviews are starting to trickle in! Thank you to ChinaDollMaiden, who was the first one to review! Thanks also to __Fan1EdwardCullen__)_

As I lay on the sofa, I knew it was going to end, somehow.

"Don't be regretful." He whispered.

How could I not be? He had been told to kill someone. Fair enough, he hadn't, but still…

"All was not in vain." He breathed into my ear.

We were both silent, and together. I still had my clothes on. I didn't want to go on.

I just wanted to be quiet. But he was insistent. Too insistent as he pulled at me.

"You're not the same." I stared at him.

"Of course not." He told me calmly. "You're losing concentration."

"Wha-?"

"It's the candle. It lets you see me….once. But you have to concentrate, otherwise things get mixed up."

"But is this the real you?"

He heaved his shoulders and pinched his eyes. "Do you really need to know?"

"Yes."

"No, no this isn't the real me. I'm an imitation. The real Draco right now is asleep. I'm not real."

"A fake." My voice was shaking.

He shook his head, slowly. "You have the necklace still. And the apple."

"To hell with the apple!" I shouted, ignoring the fact that none of this was real.

A cocked eyebrow. A cynical expression. I blanked him.

"Where does he live?"

"I shouldn't tell you that."

"I know you shouldn't, but since when has Draco cared for rules?" I retorted.

"True."

"So?"

"So what?"

"So where does he live? I want to see him. Now." I demanded of the Pretend Draco.

"If I don't tell me, you're going to curse me, aren't you?"

"Damn right!"

"Fine, fine. It's a house in Wiltshire…"

"Oh that's good; because I was worrying you were going to be _vague_ about it." My tone was irritated. Ugh. It was my dream! Couldn't I control it?

"Okay! Fine."

With more precise instructions, I waved my wand and lo, a broom appeared. I wasn't the most confident flier in reality, but hey, I was dreaming so I wasn't exactly going to die or anything.

Flying against the bitter night, I was reaching for him.  
"I know you're out there somewhere." I murmured, spotting a few houses.

It's too dark, I'm so cold. Where is he?

Calling Draco's name, I hear only echoes. Squinting and searching the rain I see only shadows. He had to show me his face some time, please. I needed a sign, damnit.  
Fading, slowly. The broom was drifting into darkness and so was I. I had to keep on searching, but I couldn't see, couldn't think.

There's a house there. It looks perfect. Silently I arrive, he doesn't know I'm alive. _You won't understand it in a dream_, I muse dizzily as I cruise the windows.  
_If it's love then everything just burns away._

Every night, I'd been all alone. But not this night. He'd believed in what we were. Him and me. All the things he'd said. Running through my head. This wasn't even real. The dream, the dream…

There's a window, and I feel totally lost. I find myself standing there, as he sleeps. In the room. How? Who knows? I padded along and touched his sleeping face. "What?" he mumbles.

"It's me, it's Hermione."

His eyes snapped open. He shot up and pulled me towards him. "Hermione, I am so sorry for everything."

Did I trust him? He was acting like I was his friend but he was supposed to be on the other side. His hand reached towards me but I was leaning away. Why? Everything he was saying was echoing, reverberating around the room. It was an odd thing, and I didn't know whether I liked it or not. Did I even want to concentrate on Draco?

"All else is nothing. My love for you…" he whispered.

I reminisced. "They didn't understand us."

"We'll run away." He decided. I shook my head.

"They'd find us."

As he cupped my face between his hands and gazed straight into my tearful eyes, I forgot almost everything. My body tensed and my mind panicked as he pulled me closer, attacking my lips with his own. This was the best dream of my life. Or was it a nightmare? I couldn't tell.

"Draco…" I struggled.

"No…" he whispered. "Just let me remember this…this one moment."

"This can't be a dream." I whimpered helplessly. I might have compared it to a newborn baby, or a helpless kitten, but I was far too distracted.

It was like a slow poison, the way he rose up off the bed in his black underwear. Not green. It didn't make me think of snakes (Although that was clearly an innuendo begging to happen), and there was no 'Slytherin' logo, no silver, either. The poison took me and pressed me onto the bed. I struggled weakly.

"Oh, this isn't a dream, Granger." He regarded me gleefully. "The candle, remember? This is definitely real, this one moment. I am awake. You are awake. This is going to be the longest night of your night Granger, and don't you forget it."

"Do you want to know what it's like to lose control?" he hissed, and it frightened me.

"I don't want this." I trembled, attempting to convince him but we both knew I was lying.

His kiss was rough and hungry, demanding submission. I moaned and brought my knee up a little higher, pressing into his hip. Something was nagging at the back of my mind, something that I certainly should be remembering, something that made what we were doing so wrong, but I was finding it impossible to figure out just what that was. Murder? Lies? Who knew…..who cared? All I knew was this right here, right now, was unlike anything I had ever felt, even in sixth year…

"But we both know the fear is half the fun, isn't that right?" he whispered.

I shuddered, electricity running down my spine in a way that terrified me. I shouldn't want this, not after…

"We're not supposed to be together…" he bit down on my shoulder. The same old Draco, direct and not afraid of hurting me, because I'd loved it all those months ago.

"And…we could be caught…we were. But that didn't stop us, did it?" he mused vaguely, sliding his hand up my pyjama top, oh so slowly, the suspense rising up in me, a sickly, wonderful feeling.

_Oh, fuck it all, I love him, I love him!_ I thought deliriously. His hand rested on my tummy a moment.

_I cry 'more', I wanna pull you closer, closer, closer, closer…_

"You wouldn't get this with Weasley, or indeed Potter."

"I-no-not…I…"

"Rendering you incoherent am I, Granger?" he laughed softly, delighted at his success.

His cool, soft hand trailed ever closer upwards. Slowly but surely, his smooth voice wrapped itself around me enticingly, suggestively.

He lets his teeth scrape over something, looking up at me. Gasping, I want to cry with joy, sighing as he kisses up my body, nuzzles against my neck.

The stimulation of his lips, hands, and even his soft moans is more than I can handle.

His skin is warm and soft; my hands take a minute to explore, to his enjoyment. Moans, shivers, and bright grey eyes tell me all that I need to know.

He lets me play for a while, like a little child I stroke here and there, as if I've never seen this before, or that…although I remember the small of his back better than anything.

"Bloody tease," He moans, kissing and nibbling on my collarbone one last time before I feel him yanking my red and white pyjama bottoms down and out of the way. With a touch of awe in his voice, he tells me I'm beautiful again. I believe him; the sincerity in his voice almost makes my voice catch.

He's breathless.

I'm almost sobbing with anticipation.

He's moaning.

I'm ready.

There are so many emotions flowing through me right now that I can hardly articulate them, much less keep them under control. I'm surprised that we don't tumble to the floor in a heap of appendages and discarded clothing. I'm surprised that he's touching me with more gentleness than the situation calls for. I'm excited that I am the sole reason why for Draco Malfoy is quivering and sighing blissfully. I'm stunned that this is my life and not a _really_ fantastic dream. The candle…

Most of all, I'm really liking that he's the one making me shake and moan in return.

I bite his shoulder playfully. I like this. My hands clasp his back, ad I remember the first time I did that, and I want to cry again, but if I did, he'd think something was wrong, when really, everything was so, so incredibly _right_.

I wanted to sing a beautiful song that conveyed all my emotions. _Run away if we must, 'cause you know, it's all about us…_

Whimpering helplessly, I choke, "Draco, what are you _doing_ to me?"

Remember to breathe Hermione, it's easy.

Just in and out. It's easy.

He bites down on my neck (At this point, my brain irritatingly thought of the Faggotlight saga, and I wanted to swear, how could I have imagined Edward, or even Jacob could ever compare to this wonderful person?) and slams into me. Hard.

Fingers touch my chin, lifting my face so I'm staring into his warm, glossy gray eyes.

"I can't believe I ever managed to meet someone as unique as you."

Perhaps if I was feeling a bit saner, I might have wittily remarked "Oh? Unique as in weird?" or something like that. But I wasn't in a sane state of mind. My head had turned to mush. Like I was jetlagged. My_ jetlag_ had jetlag.

I nod because it's all I can really do now.

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me as I cry out, and he shushes me as I gasp, taking everything in.

"I…I…." I struggle to tell him.

"I know." He hushes me, pulling me close before I have to go back to Grimmauld place.

_(Wo-o-o-o-ah! I've been listening to t.A.T.u none stop ALL DAY whilst talking to people and doing this, of course, supplied with Dr Pepper and whatnot. Spread the word that the sequel is out! Let all my lovely reviewers know please :D I loved writing this-let me know what ya think so far! Keep reviewing kidz, love you all. DSOTM94)_


	3. Reminiscent

_(Hey guyz, so very sorry it's taken so fecking long to get this up, had serious writer's block. Also, changed my pen name to It's-All-About-Us, haha (: Enjoy—IAAU)_

I can't remember how I got back to Grimmauld Place. I just remember waking up, my hand next to Ron's, and Harry not being there.

I sat up rapidly. I gasped and closed my eyes, a grin all over my silly, teenage face. I was happy. I glanced at the candle, which was loosely held in my right hand. It was out. But it had happened, it had really, really happened!

What I'd thought was a dream, a mirage, was as real as it seemed. Exhaling slowly, I sucked in another breath, rolled my eyes and smiled over at Ron fondly. Ron. Ronnie. Ronald. Ronald….ther. Ronaldther. Ronalderithia. I flopped back down on my back, facing his sleeping face.

Before I knew it, he was poking my face.

"Er, you're poking my face." I mentioned uneasily.

"Where's m' wand?" he mumbled.

I shrugged.

"What's up?"

Tears were pushing their way down my cheeks for some odd reason. "I don't know." I tried to say, but instead, "Where's Harry?"

I had to leap up several floors before we found him, and that resulted in combing a room for an entire hour, looking for a locket. When Harry bobbed downstairs to grab a drink, it ended up Ron smiling slightly sheepishly at me.

"What?" I asked self consciously.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

Whoa. What do I do with that?

Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God! Nooooo! So that's why he'd been so nice to me lately! "Erm, be right back…sandwich." I mumbled hurriedly and choked out the situation to Harry.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do. What am I gonna do? I mean, this, this is like a complete nightmare." I cried out. Harry shook his head at me and said terribly sarcastically, "Oh, I know, this must be so hard. Oh no, two guys love me. They're both gorgeous and sexy. My purse is too small for my Galleons _AND MY DIAMOND SHOES ARE TOO TIGHT_."

I gaped at him.

"No, I am not gay," he stumbled out, hastily, "But you're so easy to read Hermione. I know who I'd pick."

Oh, great. Once again, I was in an annoying situation.

Why? Why oh why oh why?

"So he…I mean he….I…I mean, you know, he's a really good friend but I don't…" I mumbled pathetically.

"Hermione, fascinating your love life is, I'm afraid I have to get on." Harry told me gently. "Talk to Ron," he advised. "It could be good for you, you know. Just try it."

I was close to tears.

Even at the end of the day, with Kreacher off to search for Mundungus Fletcher, and warm chicken soup and Ben and Jerry's ice cream making a welcomed return, I wanted to just cry, stamp my foot, give Ron a good shaking and I didn't know what else!

Ron looked at me long and hard. "What is going on with you?"

I blinked. "What? What d'you mean? Nothing."

Harry snorted. "Oh, come on! You've been acting strange all day."

I rolled my eyes and relished Draco in my mind. "All right... There is something. I... I kind of had a dream. But I don't wanna talk about it."

Ron raised his eyebrows. Harry remarked, "What if Martin Luther King had said that? 'I kind of have a dream... I don't wanna talk about it.'"

"You know what? I'm going to have a bath." I stood up hastily, and ran. Yes, I ran. Like I was ten. Not seventeen. The door slammed and locked, and in the hot water, I drifted, dazed. Draco. Draco. Draco.

Even two days later, they were going on about it. "'Mione, you've been acting weird for a couple of days, now. What's wrong?"

I replied, slowly. "Nothing... Well, something. I kinda had a dream, sort of... Ahh, forget it."

Harry was getting on my nerves now. "Come on. What if Martin Luther King said that- 'I kinda had a dream, sorta...'?"

"What if I slap you?" I muttered.

I had a weird dream that night. It was an actual dream, not a candle scenario. I was spying on Ron and Draco. Ron was saying, "I'm gonna say this as Hermione's best friend. Not as _your_ friend."

Draco was puzzled. "So now you're not my friend?"

"Not now."

"Alright."

Ron seemed to be gearing himself up for something. They both looked older, too. "So I couldn't be happier 'cause you're marrying Hermione. But if someday you ever hurt her, I will hunt you down and kick your ass."

Draco started to laugh.

"What, what? I'm just warning you. I'll hunt you down and kick your ass."

"Ok, so we're friends again?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, you won't believe what Hermione's best friend just told me…"

I woke with a start, glad it hadn't happened after all.

It was the day we were to break into the Ministry. I almost fell asleep right back in the shower and the pair were evidently disgruntled as I sashayed in. "Sorry I'm late, I had to pose for a Meatloaf album cover."

"No witticisms, Hermione." Harry informed me briskly. "And no trying to find Malfoy, either, when we've gotten out!" he added.

"Forget it, 'Mione." Ron assured me. "He probably Imperiused you. And now you'd idiotically gotten attached. But what's in the past is in the past."

"The past is never over. The past goes always with you." I said calmly.

"We're going to Apparate, Hermione now, okay?"

And so we did.

_We used to love one another. _I thought dizzily.

_"I enjoy liking you. Even if you were to never reciprocate, and even if I had to deal with the constant pain of knowing you never would, I would still not want to give up loving you." He murmured, staring at me with those grey metallic eyes of his, those warm silver eyes, had led me to just grab hold of him and kiss him with all the force I could muster on Christmas morning._

"Give to each other." I muttered now. I stunned Mafalda Hopkirk easily enough, and took on her appearance. You know, making people sick with sweets isn't my thing, but I did my best. Reminiscent

Recording notes, notes, notes, lying undercover. Was Draco my friend?

_"I got you the friendship rose because I count you as a friend too, someone I can trust, and laugh with." He told me, as if it was obvious._

Or was he my foe?

_"Typical Granger…not happy unless you have a book in your hands, or on your knees in front of the Weasel."_

Love one another…

_"I-no-not…I…"_

_"Rendering you incoherent am I, Granger?" he laughed softly, delighted at his success._

_His cool, soft hand trailed ever closer upwards. Slowly but surely, his smooth voice wrapped itself around me enticingly, suggestively._

Live for each other…

"Hey, it's me." Harry whispered under the Cloak.

You have NO IDEA how much I jumped, seriously.

The next bit, it just happened so fast…duplicating the Horcrux, getting out of the Ministry, in that enclosed space…

And then what do I find?

A bloody great gash in Ron.

I bet it's _me_ that has to deal with that, and all.

_(Oh myy. Can't believe I haven't updated in so long. It's because of several things. School, Year Eleven is not fun, hormonal stresses—by that I mean BOYS with all their effing testosterone – and also the fact that I could be spending a weekend in Amsterdam this year. Forgive me! Please. I promise I'll improve, 'cuz I know this chapter wasn't the best. Love you all, review and suchlike xxx IAAU)_


	4. Screaming For More

_(Oh my giddy god's pyjamas. I have been gone for oh so long. Way too long, in my personal opinion. Basically, you can thank coursework. It needs a bloody kick up the arse; I can tell you right now, I hate it! I've changed my name again, it's ShowMeLove94. That's an amazing t.A.T.u song of course! I am so sorry but I have actually been on , and BBC Bitesize, and I've even listened to French radio. My actual GCSE proper this-is-it French speaking test is Friday 7__th__ May. Eek. I'll try and update more. I have got study leave this month! Thanks for the reviews guys! Thankies very much to EVERYONE. Have some grapes. SML94)_

Well, there wasn't going to be any point moaning about how all the difficult stuff was left to me; it wasn't going to sort out itself.

Ohh, those first few days weren't very pleasant, especially as I was brooding over Draco. I'd lain in his arms not so long ago, and now I was wondering, was it the right thing to do? He hadn't killed Dumbledore himself. But was he involved now, with Voldemort?

My birthday wasn't much better.

"You got me a can of Coke." I stared down at the aluminium shape.

"And, a Red Bull!" Harry produced it.

"Oh. You shouldn't have." I mumbled.

"And last but not least…" Ron fiddled in his pocket and brought out a packet of condoms.

"They're ribbed for _your_ pleasure!"

Then I got sniffly about Draco because I remembered the first time I had sex with him, I'd run to Ginny for the Pill. Yep. Muggle, I know. But I was just sat there, glumly.

Harry spoke. "Look, Hermione, you gotta understand, between me and Ron we haven't had a relationship that has lasted longer than a chocolate frog. You, however have had the love of a man for half a year. Six months of closeness and sharing at the end of which he ripped your heart out, and that is why we don't do it."

Pause there. My throat tightened. "I don't think that was my point." Harry added.

"You know what the scariest part is? What if there's only one person for everybody, you know? I mean, what if you get one relationship, and that's it?" I asked, shoving the packet of condoms in my beaded bag, and snapping open the Coke.

Ron snorted. I looked up at him, waiting for some sort of reply. It didn't help.

"What are you talking about? One relationship? That's like saying there's only one flavour of ice cream for you. Let me tell you something Hermione. There's lots of flavours out there. There's Caramel Chew Chew, and Cookie Dough, and Coffee. Phish Food. You could get them with sprinkles, or sauce, or whipped cream. This is the best thing that ever happened to you!"

"You have no idea—" I began to protest but he simply talked over me.

"You shagged Malfoy, you were, what, six? Welcome back to the world. Grab a spoon."

Was it just me or…was this a reference? I mentioned, "I honestly don't know whether I'm hungry or horny." Just to freak them out. And finish the reference. If it existed.

"You can stay out of my freezer." Harry edged away from me, as if I was about to pour cream all over him, and lick it off. Ew. I think a cold chill just ran down my spine.

The best thing, I think, was that I could listen to all the t.A.T.u I wanted. Not all the time obviously, but when the boys were blanking me, which was more often than you might think. I'd make it loud as possible, as if a full blown concert was in my head, and Ya Soshla S Uma started playing for the first time, it was so beautiful and pure and true….I sang. "A oni govoryuat, vinovata sama…ya soshla s uma, ya soshla s uma—"

"HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed. I think he was slightly concerned about my wellbeing.

"Da?" I replied in Russian, just to scare him.

"I uh, I need to talk to you, really. You know you listen to this tatu?"  
"t.A.T.u, you mean. Yep, I listen to it. Clearly." I rolled my eyes as I turned off _Mama, papa prosti, ya soshla s uma…._

"Look, I'll support you all the way and everything, but you know erm, those girls…they're, erm, you know—"

"Yes?" I asked innocently.  
"Lesbians."  
"Whut." I actually said it like that, as well.  
"They're lesbians."  
"Oh God."

Oh God oh God oh God. Was Ron potentially suggesting--

"Are you possibly a lesbian, Hermione?"

I coughed and spluttered and laughed out loud and the tears ran down my cheeks and I wiped them away and then I sighed, "No Ron, I'm not. And actually, Yulia is bisexual and with a man and she's had a child, and Lena is straight. It's called a stage act. You don't have to be a lesbian to listen to ahem, 'lesbian' music." I rolled my eyes once more.

"Right, that's uh, good. I mean, uh, you know. Just that, I was wondering, if you know, that-"

"Ron. I'm not a lesbian. I am not bisexual. I am straight. Now hush." I commanded and started to sing again. "Can you see me now? Can you see? All this weeping in the air, who can tell where it will fall…"

Then. An argument.

"So go then." Harry spits at Ron. The pounding of the rain.

Ron's face flickers for a second between hesitation and anger. The latter takes him over.

"Yeah, maybe I will!" He shouts, and I want to use my wand to use the Body Bind, but my arm won't move.

He's gone, he's ripped out of the tent and it takes me too long to remove my own Shield charm.

"He's gone! Disapparated!" I cried out. It was raining when the world seemed to end. Harry didn't look human as I stumbled into an arm chair and he tossed a blanket my way. It was only 10pm. We usually went to bed at midnight, after combing through plans. But no. Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words. So it's a good thing really, that I knew them all and recounted them in my head, embellishing them again and again, at everyone. At Ron, at Harry, at myself. I damned us all.

You know what makes a bad situation worse? Spend it wishing for the impossible.

Wishing for Draco. Wishing for Ron to come back. Wishing for the whole damn thing to have never happened. Wishing, wishing, wishing...

Just then, I had such a ridiculous longing for Draco, I almost screamed. It would be so wrong, especially now, even if it felt right.

It wasn't fair. None of it was. It was an accident to go with Harry and Ron. I should've stayed to help Draco, because now I was crumbling. Neither delicate nor innocent. I couldn't doubt him now. Ron had lashed out and now I was breaking down.

Everything that was good to me was in the past. Never felt so lonely, why couldn't Draco show me love? I wanted him to slide through the tent door.

_Well, a bath might help_. I thought. Okay, it probably wouldn't, but it'd take me away from Harry for a while. I lay on the floor though, and cried some more, practically hysterical, so many thoughts thudding in my head, and it sounds obsessive but I could swear I heard music, even though nothing was playing. I'd gone mad, clearly. I'd lost my mind_, Shut up Hermione, you sad girl, you're a fucking lunatic. It's a stupid mind game; forget it all, you're pathetic!_ My mind whispered.

I pulled myself up off the floor, and trembling, I went into the bathroom and closed the door. The bath water was hot, and I was glad of it. I yanked off my clothes as fast as I could, tossing them into the middle of the floor. The loneliness was sinking in again, and I was going to start crying again. No, no.

As soon as I stepped into the sizzling liquid, my feet turned pink, but I didn't care, it was, let's say… a random act of mindlessness.

I was still going to lose the battle, but for now I could have a nice bath.

I slid in, too fast but nobody cared, least of all me.

I needed Draco, I needed him to walk in right now, and scoop me up and do whatever he wanted to me.

_Show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love 'till you open the door!_

My hands were wringing now, and I was insane, rocking back and forth in the bath, moaning for someone who wasn't there, someone who was probably killing Muggles at that very moment, or helping to stalk Harry.

_Show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love, 'till I'm up off the floor!_

Curled up in the bath, letting the steam open my skin, I ran my fingers over my skin, and the hard material of the bath bit into my side. "Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco..." I mourned.

_Show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love, 'till it's inside my pores!_

He'd left me longing for him, so very much. In the night, there was only the candle light. I reached for the candle to be lit, but couldn't quite reach. He'd taken my self control as I gripped myself, living for the nights. "Draco!" I almost shouted.

Where was my will to find him? I needed him, to find him, so he could show me love after all of the events. My hands were scratching at my legs, leaving great red marks from pure longing. How could I, Hermione Granger, famous bookworm who lived in the library, ended up through a chain of events, in a hot bath, almost sobbing because I needed Draco?

_Show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love, show me love, 'till I'm screaming for __**more**__!_

"Draco!" I screamed now, here and now, simply a collection of thoughts, frustration, agony and sadness.

"Hermione?" Harry knocked on the door. I rocked again, mumbling something.

"Hermione, are you okay?"

Was I okay! How stupid. I didn't even reply to that, rocking more in the water, Draco was always on my mind, always in my head. I'd wait night after night if I had to! No lights, only shadows. Harry had said he really knew me, he wasn't afraid to say it, but he didn't know the torment in my mind right now. Was it lies? No way.

"Hermione!" He hit the door hard, but I'd locked it, the Muggle way.

Harry was worried about me, he was slowly starting to panic, wondering what was happening, wondering if I'd harmed myself, or indeed drowned myself.

I knew all of this, but still, I did not care. I needed so much to feel the cleansing water flow over myself, to know the biting heat wash away my dirt, my grime, and everything that had built up after the argument, and it was all inside. I felt dirty from all my contact with this world, and tired, so tired. Draco made me feel so fine. The rhythm in my heart was painful. I'd wake up, and live my nightmare endlessly: without Him.

Feels like, there's no way back!

"Hermione, if you don't answer me in thirty seconds, I'm breaking down the door!" Harry pleaded and threatened at the same time. Would he really do it? That was the question.

_Show me love, show me love, give me all that I want…_

I patiently counted down. _Show me love, show me love. Show me love, show me love._

I remembered laughter. I remembered good times. Banter. Witty conversations. I remembered love. I remembered it all, whilst entirely forgetting Harry was about to bring down the door. My weeping; who could tell where it would fall?

I had a cross I needed to bear. An emergency for Harry.

The door began to rattle and my eyes fluttered open. Could he see me now? Could he see?

Music permeated the air, and Russian accents attacked my ears, making me hear the music, and I couldn't hold on, I had secrets now, that I wouldn't share.

"I'm coming in now, Hermione!" he warned. Give it five seconds.

I lay there, on my side, away from him, as a simple magical charm gave him access to a very distant, very naked, very frustrated Hermione.

"Oh shi—Hermione! Hermione, talk to me!"

I can imagine the music.

_Can you see me? Can you see me now? Can you see?  
And I'm all mixed up, feeling cornered and rushed…  
Mama, papa, prosti!  
Ya soshla, s uma!  
I will forget my dreams, nothing is what it seems, I will affect you, I will protect you, from all the crazy schemes…_

"Hermione!" I can tell he doesn't want to touch me. Just the wariness of his eyes, shielded behind the concern.

The water, still burning perfectly, vanished, and Harry chucks a towel over my body, averting his eyes.

He wraps it over the bits he isn't supposed to see, and makes me sit up. I glare at him. Despite everything, he looks guilty.

"I was worried!" he insists.  
"I was going to answer you." I lie.  
"Yeah, sure. If you were going to answer me, then Dumbledore's gay."  
"Dumbledore_ is_ gay."  
"Well, that's not the point! Let me see your wrists."  
"Um…why?"

He seizes my wrists, which are normal, a flesh colour, and you can see the veins if you press them gently.

There are no slashes. Duh.

"Happy now?"  
"Look, come here." He sighs at me, and so I step carefully out of the bath and he waves his wand. I'm suddenly in pyjamas, and slippers too. I don't question it, but Harry pulls me gently onto my bed and looks deep into my eyes.

"Hermione, I know just the thing. I know what you're going through."  
"Do you? Do you really?" I retort.  
"Yeah, I do, actually. It's Draco, and, well.." he coughed, self consciously. "You ah, you want him."

I stare.

But that's not all. "I know how I can help."

Oh God.


	5. Simple Moves

Disclaimer: Realised that I don't use disclaimers but I shall. We all know that the world of HP doesn't belong to me. I'd be older and richer if it did. I would also be much more beautiful and older if I was either part of t.A.T.u, and hilarious as it is, sadly I don't own the Friends references, either. I do however; decide to manipulate Hermione and Draco, muahaha. *cough.*

My Notelet: I knowww, I've been away for EVER. I feel so bad too O: Stupid GCSE's. I mean, they're ONLY exams, right? xD Oh man. I dunno. I've just been listening to t.A.T.u whilst eating Mikado and drinking Diet Coke, and watching Friends. Duh, haha. Anyhoo, yesh, now didn't Harry sound weird there? Lmao. Well, there are many events. And in the words of Severus Snape, we should 'Let them unfold'. Unfolding goes here….SML94

I looked right at Harry. "What? How, how could you possibly help? Do I even want to know? Oh God oh God oh God, don't tell me—"

"Hermione!" he shook me, and I stared calmly.  
"Yesh?" I lisped.  
"This is serious. I can't have a scare like that again. Anyway. There are, uh, several ways to uh, you know, make yourself…feel, erm, better."  
"Harry, I don't like what I'm hearing!" I gasped.  
"I don't like saying it, but first of all you could—"

I stuck my fingers in my ears and sang, "Somewhereeee, out there, beneath the PALE MOONLIGHT!"  
"Hermione!"  
"From Paris to Berlin and every disco I get in—"  
"HERMI-"  
"You're the best, around! Nothing's ever gonna keep you down, you're the best, around!"  
"HERMIONE GRANGER!"

So then I dared to sing a horrible song. "Stop callin', stop callin', I don't wanna think anymore, I left my head and my heart on the-"

"Hermione, I am warning you—"  
"No way, no, it's not me, not right, I wanna get rowdy tonight!"  
"What the—"  
"THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET US!" I began to shout, because I didn't want a sex lesson from Harry Potter. That was just not right.

"Look, I don't want to drag you out of the bath again. Now, what exactly were you doing in there?" he probed.  
"I was in the bath. Washing my hair. That is it."  
"You were curled up on your side."  
"I wasn't doing anything that you're probably thinking of."  
"What am I thinking of?"  
"I don't want to think about it."  
"Hermione," Harry grasped my hands. I stared at my feet. "It's not, you know, _bad_ for you or anything. It's a perfectly natural way of exploring your body and discovering what feels good for you."

I raised my eyebrows. "I know. I just…are you sure you should be discussing this with me? I feel a little…and anyway, how do you know what I'm going through? You don't want to—"

"Not with Malfoy!" he amended hastily. "But everyone does it. Some people do it every day."

Oh no.

Did that mean that during the camping trip so far, that Harry and Ron, in their beds at night….had….oh….

"Oh crap. You mean, you-you-you-you-" I stuttered.

"I'm trying to help you." He took my hand gently. "Like I said, it's normal, everybody does it. Now, what happens tonight, we're gonna keep it a secret, right?"

"But the story-supposed to be rated Teen…..this too much?" I rambled.

"Hermione, I want you to look at me. Imagine. Imagine it's, uh, him."

I looked at Harry. His shirt was torn, and he was shaking. I was as still as granite.

"What?"  
"I'm trying to teach you how, how to…"

I raised one eyebrow. He reached towards me, and I jumped away. "I didn't sign up for this shit!"

"You know Hermione, sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move." He points out.

"Yeah, but you're trying to make me, you know…"  
"Can't you even say it?"  
"There's no point!"  
"Say it."  
"Prostye Dvizheniya." That's what I go for, since it's true. "You and your bloody t.A.T.u. They deal with it though!"  
"Yeah, but you're trying to make me do it in front of you!"  
"Not necessarily!"  
"Well you implied it!"

Harry sighed, looking at me, tenderly. "Hermione, I care about you. And I know you care about Malfoy, but you can't be with him now. Just… I know you want to *cough* with him, but erm, that's not really possible. I mean, I'd help you out but-"

"WHAT?!"  
"Jesus! My ears, they bleed!"  
"DID YOU JUST SUGGEST THAT YOU WOULD HAVE SEX WITH ME BECAUSE DRACO ISN'T HERE?!"  
"Not necessarily!"  
"Oh not necessarily. Not bloody necessarily. Potentially, that would be stupid. No, not even potentially. It would be! It is!" I shriek. What is he playing at?

Harry apologises. Again and again. Then, he gets a bottle and a glass. I hear a clink and he offer it to me. Idiotically, I take it. I drink.

"Screw this." He sighs as I sip shakily, my teeth clanking. Ice cubes painfully connect with my teeth and I push them away with my tongue.

"Screw what?" I murmur, putting the glass to one side.

"Look, I'm sorry for trying to push you into that stuff before. I mean, not everybody does it. It's just; I know how it feels..."  
"Right. I know you like Gin. I am not blind. But that doesn't mean that just because you do, but can't see her, and I like Draco, but can't be with him, that doesn't mean we should _take comfort in each other_." I exclaim.

I mean, really. It's not Harry I want, it's Draco. You know, Draco Malfoy. The blond one. The one that I once asked wittily, "I like your bed Draco…can I Slytherin?"  
The one who truly put up with my t.A.T.u madness. The one boy who had sex with me. On a Potions table.

See? I didn't say he released me of my virginity, or showed me the ways of the world, or even that we made love. I'm not one for romanticising stuff when it's just….just no, basically.

"I'm not suggesting that we, ahem, 'do it', or kiss, but you know, just, I dunno. Whatever helps."  
"Harry James Potter, you openly suggested that I get naked to make myself feel better about Draco-"  
"Hermio-"  
"Don't deny it. You told me it's a way of exploring my body, and what else could that mean? Getting a magnifying glass and peering where-wherever and going, 'Hmm, yes, I notice that I am unusually aroused' or whatever! I don't know!" I argue, and he winces.

"Oh, oh, shut up. Just, I dunno. Hug?" he suggests. I shrug. A hug is innocent enough, and just then, my glass apple starts humming. A guitar. Oh no, not this song! It's made for Draco. He's human, and he needs to be loved, just like everybody else does. I flick my wand to quieten it.

"Harry, I want to make it clear that we are just hug-"  
"Shoosh your lips up!"  
"Shoosh my lips up?"  
"I know. Sorry. Anyway. Hugging, yeah." He mumbles.

Right. Yes. So, we moves onto the chair, which he managed to expand so we can both sit comfortably. What exactly does Harry have in mind? Hugging me and then imagining Ginny? Imagining what, exactly? That's the part I'm concerned about. Well, we're friends, right? He's my best friend. If we're just, you know, helping each other out and only hugging, what harm can it do?

So we shuffle down, I take off my robe because I'm getting uncomfortably warm inside it. It's just as Harry wraps his arms around me I realise I'm not wearing my bra anymore. Because. Pyjamas. Oh no, this could be awkward…

So I close my eyes and breathe him in, slowly. He doesn't smell like Draco, he smells different. Already he's in a different state of consciousness. I've got doubts that this has any sense. Anyway, I should be imagining Draco, right?

So I squeeze my eyes shut and pretend I'm in Draco's room, that the bed is there and so are we. Pictures are in my head. Draco's inside my head. Fading softly, no, don't play dead! I pull him back and There's his delicate endless skin, fingers running down my back. Eternal senses. _Just let anything pop into your head_, Hermione. I tell myself.

_Wake up in the morning feeling like Voldemort,  
Grabs his glasses, he's out the door, gonna hit that Horcrux,  
Before he leaves, brush his teeth with a bottle of Felix,  
'cause when he leaves for the fight, will he come back?_

I couldn't take it anymore. "When is this supposed to feel good?" I ask.  
"Well, you could at least _act_ like you're enjoying it!" he protests, flushed.  
"_You_ are? You're getting something out of this?"

He goes even more flushed, and he's slightly sweaty. This is fucked up. I stare at him, hard. Then the paranoia dances up. Has he been imagining me, what's he been imagining me doing?

Cue internal screaming on my part, but Harry stays calm. "I was imagining that I was hugging her, that's all. I mean, I uh, I liked it."

Then he's got hold of me again and then it's back again, Harry is moaning slightly and oh no oh no oh god no!

I jump away, wrapping my arms around my chest for obvious reasons.  
"So much for the fulfilment of sexual fantasies!" Harry complains. My eyes widen.  
"Harry…what were you imagining?"  
"I'll tell you what I was fantasising about if you tell me what you were fantasising about."  
"I just need him, Harry." I whisper.

"Well, I need Ginny, but she's not here, either! So, what do we do?" he says, knocking back more of his drink. I shrug. "I just don't know."

Even though I know, there's something I can do.

Harry is moving closer, his mouth is slightly open, and his hands are wringing. I'm backing away. "Harry, it's not what you want."

"Two friends, helping each other out?" he pleads, his eyes are big and shiny, and I know he wants this so much. He wants Ginny though, not me. Also, if Draco found out he'd kill him. I tremble, in a dilemma. Do I help Harry, or just get the hell out of here and help myself? I can make a working copy of the candle, I know I can.

"Some nights, I just want to be held, to be hugged." Harry presses, and oh god, is he going to cry? Oh no oh no. I'm feeling so terribly guilty, but I'm scared of what he'll ask me to do. So scared. Don't cry Harry, it'll tear me apart.

I love him like a best friend. But I love Draco in a different way.

I've got to just grit my teeth and do it.

"Harry…" I utter soothingly, and his head leans against me, like a child. I hold him, and I sigh softly. "I don't blame you, I really don't. But, why don't you work it off [what else was I to say?] or-or something? I'll come back. I just need to go do a thing. You know." I glimpse at him, and his eyes are full of understanding.

"I know I let you down, it's just, I've never needed a friend like I do now." He admits, in the voice of a little kid. I stopped myself from doing anything stupid, and I tell him, "I'll be back, I promise. I'm taking my wand. I'll be alright…we both will."

A small nod allows me to extract myself, and he sits down in the chair, staring at the floor. I make an escape, with the new candle and I stand outside, light it and I'm gone.

It's half eleven. I learn that much. I am at Hogwarts. Draco is still at Hogwarts, at school? He's in the common room. The Slytherin common room. There's Blaise, and Luna. Déjà vu!

I'm in for a night of arguments, madness, witty conversation, and then some more.

It's just us four, as usual. Then, a question rises into my head. How'd I get into Hogwarts? You can't Apparate in or out. Something tells me not to pursue the question though, especially as I'm standing there in front of people.

Luna blinks. Blaise lets a book slide out of his hands, and Draco, he asked me, "Hermione, what-how-I…" and then he begins to splutter.

"Why should I listen to explanations?" I ask him.  
"I'm not pretending to make it simple, Granger! He moves towards me, but I push him, hard. "Keep yourself away, far away from me!"

Blaise has a look of wonder on his face. Luna is calm. As bloody usual.

Forget confusion, Draco was baffled.

"But-the other night-"  
"You don't…just, stay away. Death Eater." I throw the words at him, and then he shakes his head, and seems disappointed, if not offended. "That was low, even for you, Granger." "This was an accident. You still have doubts, don't you?"  
"No! How can you even think that?"  
"Killed anyone yet? Used any Unforgivable curses? It must be second nature, by now." I snarled at the boy with the silver eyes, hating him for leaving. If he said it was me that had left, I would murder him. Luna had slid over and tugged at me ineffectually.  
"You were the one who left me." He points out with a twist of spite.  
"I had to make sure Ron and Harry didn't get themselves killed!"  
"It's always those two pricks, isn't it! Always them, not me! Have you ever thought what I might be going through? I've not seen you since August, and that for your information, is three months! It's been three months without you! I've been going out of my fucking head! Wondering if the Dark Lord would bring you in, you have no idea what goes on Granger, what they've made us do, what they've made _me_ do!"

"Malfoy, if you don't shut up right now, I swear I am going to kill you, I swear I will!"  
"Oh, no you don't have to. _He_ will probably do it soon. I can wait! I can wait five minutes." he says bitterly. I moved to kill him, or curse him. But Blaise dragged me back by grabbing the top of my jeans. Luna gazes at me with her huge eyes. "Hermione, I know you're very angry at Draco right now but-"  
"But what? You don't know what's happened my end do you!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Blaise began.  
"For your information, I almost got, I mean, if it hadn't been for, oh for Christ's sake, it was Harry!"  
"Har—what?"  
"He walked in on me, in the bath!"

Luna sings, "Ohh, awkward scene, for the wiiin!"

A small silence. Blaise raised his eyebrows. "He did? I'm guessing by your tone he didn't run straight back out again?"  
"And Ron's left us, too. If there are gods, they're pissing on us and not even giving us the courtesy of calling it rain. No, he didn't! Ironically enough, I was thinking of _you_ at the time-" I hurled the word at the silver eyed boy. "And he used his wand—BLAISE! NO! His magic one. He used it to put me in pyjamas and then you know what he says?"

"What?" Luna asks with genuine interest.  
"He asks me to let him 'help me out'." I used my fingers to sketch quotation marks. Draco's up and out of his seat with a furious expression. The silver is so boiling it's melted. How can his eyes not hurt with the fire? Luna has her head on one side and Blaise is concerned. "What did he do?"  
"What did you say?" Draco begs of me.

"I told him I didn't like what I was hearing. And well, he said it was perfectly natural to, erm, 'explore' my-"

"God, he really must be missing freckle face." He sighs.

"You know, I've been thinking of getting my legs double glazed." Luna announces, and it's like I'm back in sixth year, all over again.

"Why?" Blaise queries.  
"I don't know. But I think it's good to try things you've never done before."

He nods. "That's a good point, you know."

"You might as well baptize a melon." Draco says, but in a caring way.

Luna simply laughs. "That would be completely mental."

"At least we're not in a story, though." Draco looks at me knowingly and I long for him again.

Luna gracefully glides towards Blaise. "I don't know what the Slytherins told you about me, but I don't care. I'm happy with the way things are now. I can remember how I knew you as the guy who tripped over a Bang Ended Skrewt . Like the guy everyone said you were. Now I know you're a lot more than just that. "

I sigh in bliss at the romance as Blaise simply replies, "You let me see life differently, in a good way. Happiness is what I feel when I'm with you. It's like other things don't matter anymore, and there's only you and me."

I'm hoping for Draco to say something back to me, but he cheerfully tells me, "You know, masturbation is just like procrastination. At first it feels good, but in the end you realise you've just fucked yourself."

I snort, because it's true, and I stare at those eyes of his, never rusting, always gleaming. "Oh, you. Listen, if I say something romantic, will you say something back?"

"Sure." He agrees. I have a quick think, and then I speak.

"You'll always be in my heart, you're the perfect boy. You actually will have a place in my heart for the rest of my life, and I hope it's the same over there. No matter what I'll ever say or do, I love you and I always will. Even though not all of our time was spent together, it's been a great time, and I hope a lot of days, months, maybe even years, will pass by for you and me together." I don't whisper it in his ear, or even whisper. I tell him proudly, because I don't need to pretend with him, Blaise or Luna.

He nods, takes it in and smirks without the nastiness. I nudge him. "Now you. You said you would."

"Oh yeah, I did. Okay. Something."  
"Draco!"  
"Right, right." His eyes crease up, and the words work through his brain.

"You've got a great face, and a great body. A great personality, and even a great smile. I love to be with you, and I love to just be around you. There's a world full of opportunities for us, as long as we stay together – something I even dream of." He admits, but not with shame. He's glad of me, glad of us.

And right now, that's all I need.

[Well whaddya know! I've got some Cherry Coke, I'm going to have some damn good chocolate pudding, it's the weekend, and also, I did my French speaking exam! I did a thing about homework, then I spoke about Emma Watson for the 'famous person' thing, and then some general conversation, and wahey, there was a microphone! Anyhoo, I hope you lovely lot like this, and thank you to all the unusual usuals! SML94]


	6. Hallucinations

_Bros, I'm sorry for leaving you all. I can only blame it on Tumblr and college essays. Which I still do at the last minute cause I'm a rebel. But hey, with the help of the noodle woman, I have a few more ideas. Warning, things will get rather confusing and weird. Have fun!_

And that's when I wake up.

Back in the tent.

I imagined the meeting. I dreamt it? Of course I did. You can't Apparate in or out of Hogwarts. Did I eat something weird last night? Was I on drugs? Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange. It never occurred to me.

With the slightest disturbance, the dream's going to collapse. My disturbance was Harry, singing, "I wish I knew how to break this spell, I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell, I'll have to say no-no-no-sir…"

I mumble, "Oh but it's cold outside!"

Then I imagine him and Ron having a sing off, Ron saying he simply must go, and such. I can't help sniggering.

"Accio Marlboro."

It works. Some person's cigarettes zoom into my hand, and then I light one with my wand. I go out in my pyjamas, and smoke. I never have before, and the ash scrapes at my throat but I will not cough.

**Quite a distance away, Draco Malfoy is disturbed.**

**Who the hell just nicked his morning smoke?**

**DINKLEBURG.**

**Loln.**

**He blames it on the boogie.**

**Seriously though, he is vaguely confused but goes for another Muggle pack. A secret pack. His parents would literally kill him if they knew.**

**Obviously.**

"HERMIONE."

"Yes?"  
"We need to go to Godric's Hollow. I mean I want to cry over my parents who only knew me for a year yet you had to Obliviate yours into Oblivion but I am quite self indulged sometimes sozzer."  
"Right, yes, let's go. On the road again, we're on the road again. I'm on my way, from misery to happiness today, aha, aha, aha!"

Then I see Draco standing in front of us just as I realise it's Christmas Eve. I rush to him as Harry sits and does his knitting. "You remind me of someone... a man I met in a half-remembered dream. He was possessed of some radical notions." I tell Draco, and he's enthralled, his pupils are huge. "Your eyes look like they have a whole world in them." He whispers. I smile knowingly, "You're less than perfect and I love it."  
His mean face stares at me. "How did you get here?" and I open my mouth to explain, but I realise I don't know.

_How did I get here?_

"Hermione! Wake up, people might stare, oh god I knew you'd crack at some point. Wake up please or I'll have to do an Argumenti! Wake up please!"

Harry is shaking me. I'm weirdly cold. "Do you know what it is to be a lover? Half of a whole?" I ask him, as his pale face stares at me upside down.

"What? Oh thank god, you're awake, what, did you faint? Have you been eating?"

Sitting up slowly and brushing the snow off me, I gaze around in wonderment. "Oh. We're at the church yard. We're here, Harry. I thought to get back to reality, I'd have to, you know, die. What happened?"

"You started muttering about being on the road, and then you went really pale and collapsed."  
"Oh. Okay. Well, let's look anyway."

As we stalk the graveyard, I feel like Harry, possessed by You Know Who. Or even more worryingly, Bella Swan, wanting to hallucinate over Edward, her granite 107 year old virgin boyfriend.

**Mother of god no.**

Yet I trip and stumble trying, through this heartless world and sit behind one gravestone._ "Blaise, I know Inception is possible because I'm experimenting on Hermione!"_

"_Are you out of your mind? She'll think the universe is collapsing, that our world as we know it is coming to an end?"  
"Oh, it isn't?" his tone challenges his best friend. "She won't make sense of this, she'll think she's dreaming. Even if she hears this she won't fully comprehend it. I'll block the conversat—"_

Small events, big events whirl by. A snake. A woman. A transformation. The end of time. Harry crying out with the bites. I save his life once more and blindly try to quiet him, but tears run down his cheeks, making me sob too. I'm going insane surely? I'm hearing Draco's voice. I don't want to, unless he's truly here. Please, let it all stop. "Stop."

"Let me give you a hand." The voice suggests.

"You beautiful bastard. Draco? Is it really you?"  
"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Albania!"  
"No, that's what everyone assumes. We're getting the Horcruxes destroyed, but it's so hard. Ron left us, he couldn't take it and only the spells are keeping us hidden. I suppose you used some combat spell to find us."  
"But you're a Muggle. What about your father, your mother?"  
"Obliviated." I cry, shaking as the tears stick to my face, my hair isn't brushed, but that's the last thing on my mind. "They're in Australia, I can only hope the Death Eaters don't find them. I have no family. Only Harry. He's so weak. Nagini bit him and I feel like everything is falling apart."

Draco stares at me hopelessly as I have a breakdown, truly looking as if I'm going to have a seizure of some sort, shaking, starting at my neck and the idiot boy suggests, "Maybe you should believe in God."  
"Should I?"  
"Yeah, the whole human race."  
"I think he might be dead."

Words don't reach people. What does? We're born, we cry, we fight, we fuck, we eat, we die. I fumble around for the cigarettes and offer one to Draco. "You smoke, right?" I say carelessly and he nods blankly. I light two, and stick one in my mouth. He copies, an expert whilst I'm still getting used to how to actually inhale without choking half to death. "You suck it," he tells me, and my eyes water. As Harry turns over and finally falls into a dreamless sleep, Draco peels off my clothes as I finish the cigarette (and feeling a lot better for it) he tells me to lie down as he undresses too. "In the bathroom." He explains. I lie in the bath with an extreme sense of déjà vu as he washes me with the utmost care, and I even wash his hair, pressing my naked self against his back. Lathered together, we rinse our hair. I feel so awake, and see things I've never seen before. How his hair is slightly ragged and longer, his arms have red trails. He must drag his nails down them in frustration. I want to ask if he rolls his school shirt sleeves up anymore, but then I realise he could have healed his arms. What has happened?

What has happened to the world? The muggle one, the wizard one? Have they collapsed, merged, swapped? Draco isn't smug and high and mighty, the pureblood racist who is meant to despise Mudbloods is letting a Muggle born girl wash his skin. Two little people falling into pieces share mouths, reassemble. Bigger, smaller, better, finer. Little pieces everywhere. Love is an exercise in always telling lies and breaking hearts. When he's naked, I long to watch forever, as he can't just sit and stare at me for much longer, rosy and natural. His hand reaches out and touches. My eyes close as goose bumps appear and dry electricity runs down me. A moan jumps out before I can stop it. "Hermione, you're beautiful." He tells me as he kisses below my neck. "You're really bloody beautiful."

Every inch, every scar. From his head to his toes, he's so flawed. The mark, and those self inflicted scratches. His mental state and who knows what else has caused that. I touch him everywhere and he bites his lip. I'm so curious as I find dips and swirls here and there over his battered skin, which has taken so much lately. We lay next to each other to dry. I don't feel cold, I feel warm. We change from just next to each other to literally me on top of him. Not sex. Just my warmth on him. His hands touch just above my stomach. Below my neck. They're warm and soft. We both are. I have to tell him something.

"You're infecting my mind!" I admit as I pull on underwear, jeans and a jumper, pushing his mouth away from somewhere.  
He attempts to explain: "I was trying to save you."  
"You betrayed me, but you can still make amends. You can still keep your promise. We can still be together, right here. In the world we built together."

He betrays me by coming back into my life after almost killing Ron, Dumbledore and causing so much pain. He can improve. We could go right back to the Room.

"I know. But this isn't a real. Touch me, Hermione." He whispers. I try, but my sense of touch has gone. Time slows, everything slows. Trying to shout, no noise leaves my mouth, nothing at all. He is gone, and I jerk back to reality as I sponge down Harry, who regains consciousness.

Dream. It was just a dream.

Back to reality Hermione. Sponge Harry, explain his wand is destroyed, keep moving, keep saving the world from more destruction.

_Well, well, well. Isn't this cute? Inception is one insane film but gr8 still. I hope you liked, let me know please! Meg/I'mGoodAtLife xxx_


	7. Robot, Robot, Robot

_I've finally worked out a time I can keep this fanfic going. I am free 1pm-2.30pm Friday afties at college and I can write fics then and type em up, yaay! Anyway, it gets worrying here, are you hanging on the edge of your seat?_

I'd fallen asleep as he headed for a shiny sword because Snape sent a Patronus which by the way was a doe because he was in love with Lily awww. I'd had a dreamless sleep, thank wizard god. When I woke, Ron had joined Harry. They were soaking wet and obviously freezing, but grinning. That wasn't going to stop me from chucking leaves at Ron and calling him an arse though.

"Hermione, it's not you, it's me." Ron moved towards me slowly.  
"Wait, what?" I stopped, dropping my icy snowball to the ground, where it collapsed into crumbly slush. I raised my eyebrows. We had never been together.  
"I was going to be there for you after Draco, but there's uh, there's somebody else." He mumbled, staring at the ground.

"Are you indeed the son and the heir of a _guilt_ that is criminally vulgar because to be honest you look very bloody guilty right now Ronald."  
His face looked up at me, rosy from the cold.

"I shall quote you Hermione, to explain. _I am human, and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does._"

Then Harry glanced at Ron in a way I hadn't ever seen before.  
OH.  
Oh.  
Oh my god, was Ron _coming out_?  
Was _Harry_? Was the universe collapsing? Maybe somebody else was in control. The way it's supposed to go is Ron ends up with me, and Harry marries Ginny and has kids. But it was almost like a sadistic teenage girl had taken this into her own hands. Then, that made me wonder who_ I_ would end up with.

I looked the two of them up and down. Ron was wearing skin tight jeans and Harry's heart was indeed racing. And they were holding hands. I should probably just confirm this, do my uh, research. I am after all, Hermione Granger. "Guys, could you tell me your sexuality by any chance?" I asked.

"Bi curious." They both chorused, beaming, utterly beaming.

No big secret left unspoken, then. Then they asked me the same question. "Heterosexual!" I sang in the campest way ever.

"I'm sorry Hermione." Ron took my hand.

"Look, guys, I've got to be blunt here. I was never going to go out with either of you. You're my best friends. Harry, when you found out Cedric was taking Cho to the Yule Ball you cried and you were in the bath. Ron? You just remind me of Rick Astley! It's the ginger in you."

_**Shall I try again?**_** Draco pops the question.  
**_**No, don't. Bad idea.**_** Blaise mutters, exhausted.  
**_**Oh come on guys, don't give up.**_** Luna chastises.**

And that is when Harry conjured a microphone for Ron and a keyboard for himself out of nowhere.

"We're no strangers to love…you know the rules and so do I!" Ron started. I began to feel feverish. Wings and haloes, five to seven…

"I'm never gonna give you up,  
Never gonna let you down,  
Never gonna run around, and  
Desert you!" Ron belted.

I had a different song in my head however. _Nowhere to turn, no one to help, it's almost like I don't even know myself…he loves me, he loves me, he loves me not, me not…_

Was it too late? We used to love one another. I found myself sprawled over a black plush sofa, with green and silver hangings all over the place. I was even in green pyjamas. My bedsocks had little snakes on them. I bet Blaise did that. Sure enough he was grinning, proud of his handiwork. Draco reaches into his pocket. Marlboro. "Aww, you're not addicted to something _Muggle_ are you dear Draco?" Blaise teased.

"HA!" I leapt up without a thought, and rummaged in Blaise's bag. Luna asked Malfoy the mentalist who fucks with my head, "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag?"

"You have no idea," He closed his eyes, stretched and his top lifted. Blaise poked him. "Allo, allo!" I smirked, finding some Smirnoff Triple Filtered.  
"Nein!" Blaise shouted, embarrassed.

"Pochemu?" Draco asked in a droll voice.  
" Parceque il n'est heureux pas. Tout le monde boire ?'' Luna suggested with the perfect accent.

'Why are we all now speaking in different languages?" I said, astounded.  
They all rounded on me, equally shocked. "You started it!" the trio shouted.

"So, the word we're looking for here is, anyway…"

Soon enough, Draco had lit up a couple, one for him and Blaise, he didn't want me smoking. Vodka mixed with pumpkin juice. We talked utter bullshit, drunken logic.

"They say money talks but it never answers me." Luna admitted in a hushed voice.  
"Sometimes I wish I was a lesbian." Blaise says.  
Silence.  
"Did I say that _out loud_?"

Draco laughs, "Gum would be perfection. _Gum_ would be perfection. I could have said gum would be nice, could have said I'll have a stick. But no no no no no, for me, gum is _perfection._ I loathe myself."

I sing, "Fine, fresh, fierce, I got it on lock!"  
"Sing Hermione!"  
"Ha, how about no."  
"It's not hard!" Luna says, and then of course, the boys have to shout, "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" and high five.

"Does this exist? Any of this? Cause I'm not so sure. Has a sadistic teenage girl written what I'm going to say just before I say it? Is someone controlling my mind?"  
I'm confused all of a sudden, with a heavy head. Then, suddenly Draco's face goes utterly blank and innocent.

Well then.

"I have lost my mind." I sigh. "Draco, I uh, need a hand with um, something." I suggest which makes Blaise snort but I swear Luna can read my mind and she whispers in my ear, "I'll miss you. I'll see you soon though."

Then I'm in the boys' bedroom. Just me and Draco.  
Sudden déjà vu.

"I should have known you were messing with my mind. Oh, I know what's going on." I snarled, looking right at him, so he was pressed right into the wall.

"What? Hermione, you drank too much."  
"Don't you_ dare_ patronise me you self absorbed git. You could have killed me! Or was that the plan? I bet it bloody was. Why did I listen to myself and not Harry and Ron? I'm certainly not the brightest witch of my time or anything. Those two are much smarter than me. I should have known when you poisoned Ron. This is just like then. Yes, it was for Dumbledore, but Dumbledore is dead now, anyway isn't he Draco? You were there!" Shouting wildly.

I go to hit him but he catches me so I writhe furiously in his grasp, kicking out.

"Don't you like escaping here?" he demands.  
"Not if you're being a twat and making me dream without me knowing! I thought I was going insane! You have no idea what it's been like—"  
"_**NO idea?**_ You completely heartless bitch, remember I have the Mark?" he yells hysterically and shoves it in my face. "I was chosen!" he says sarcastically, "This is my moment! Ha, don't bother killing me or using Crucio, it's not like I'm not used to it if I put one foot wrong, I've been made to do that thing!"

In the beginning, it was the profanity that made an immediate impact. It was so vehement and prolific. Every other word was either Cunt, Bastard, Wanker, and then he called me a whore.

"HA! Bullshit. Dickhead, you seemed to like it when we were having sex!" I screamed at him, and then that's when I kicked him. Hard.

I had a punctured heart; he had beaten lungs as he lay on the ground. Tears stuck to his face. He wasn't crying. The tears had been beaten out of him. He was the crazy one who had created inception and mindlessly rebelled against the Death Eaters. I was the clever one without the knowledge. I'd said it before and I'd say it again, Draco Malfoy at face value, was your typical teen bullshit artist. And I was not going to stand for it. I would leave him be now. I kicked him as he laid there, the two sides.

Inter house co operation, ha. No. In the end we were just too different. I was the heartless one, staring at the tearful boy on the floor who had met his match. One of us would live and one of us would die. He was scared but he still had the Mark. He would still fight against us. He'd fight for death, we'd fight for life. I was deprived of all emotion, like a robot, but I wouldn't tell anyone, and he mouthed, "How did we get here?"

"Did you actually believe, were you truly stupid enough to believe that you stood a chance against us? We will beat you Malfoy, make no mistake about that, you pathetic little boy. You say we should be truthful to each other. Well, all I can say to that is why the hell not? Why not tell the truth? Otherwise there's no bloody point really, is there? Trust. Well, this is me being truthful. I can't do this Malfoy, I can't. It was never going to work, was it? You can't do this in real life."

"You can do anything when it's not real. When it is real, nothing breaks your fall. Nothing gets between you and the ground." His voice rasps.

Robot, robot, robot. I wanted to ask him how the same boy could be so ugly and so glorious, and his personality so damning and brilliant. "We shall not meet again. Goodbye, Malfoy." I say. Then the words _How did I get here?_ Spring to mind. Then I get the 'kick'.

I'm awake, and Harry and Ron are sharing a tiny bunk together.

I think they might be holding hands.

I am a robot. Nobody, never, will understand anything. Robot, robot, robot, I love you, we wanted it so much. I love being a robot. The sky is gleaming. The stars are shining. The moon is rippled with its silver dents. Why was I with him?

Robot, robot, robot.

_Oo er guys. Could this be the end of Draco and Hermione…dare I say it…for ever? Well, let's keep hoping, but you never know. Since Harry will accidentally say Voldie's name soon, we'll see what's occurin'. Plus I am still loving t.A.T.u. obviously. Plus Laura (LemonCheese) and I were chatting about AVPS a few weeks ago and the Scarf of Sexual preference sitch and I just thought, what if Ron was bi? Clearly I extended that a tad, but I thought hey, we've got Luna/Blaise and Draco/Hermione, let's slip another in there, a man on man one yaaaay. Anyway, let me know what you think and predict what happens next. Anyway, that's what you missed, on Friend or Foe. Lemme know. Meg xxx_


End file.
